This is the first Trumpeter kit I have pulled out of the cupboard to build. I have to say that I expected a quick project (I mean, how hard can a submarine with around 25 parts be ?). Well all did not go to plan and I struggled with this one for several weeks.

The main problem was the sheer size of the hull on this model. At 1/144 scale, a submarine that is 73m in real life is about 2ft long. The hull is supplied in 3 parts and that means long visible seams that run the entire length of the model. Try as I might I could not get them to blend in and go away. I decided this was because the hull flexed too much and everytime I sanded it the seams re-appeared. So, looking for a solution I filled the whole thing with plaster of paris. Solved my flex problem, but now the whole thing weighs about 5kgs (a truely lethal weapon !).

Anyway, the jury is still out on the quality of trumpeter kits. This one did have some poor fit components, but no more than say Italeri or a early Revell kit.

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ã All content copyright Gary Wickham 2001